MARKETING FRUITS 1269 
scope much beyond the limits of an in- 
dividual association. 
XI. Co-operation in Buying 
The local association should aim not 
only to sell its members’ fruit but to 
purchase their orchard supplies. Great 
savings can be thus effected in the pur- 
chase of many items. The association 
can also manufacture some lines of 
spray material, largely reducing the cost 
thereof to members. The Eugene, Ore- 
gon, association makes a superior lime- 
sulphur, at exactly one-half the cost of 
the boughten article. If the various 
locals are combined in a central agency 
the latter may purchase for all, in which 
case a larger percentage may be saved, 
on account of the larger quantities hand- 
led. California Fruit Growers’ Exchange, 
through a subsidiary company, thus an- 
nually saves to its growers several hun- 
dred thousand dollars. 
Benefits accruing to the grower from 
exercise by the local association of its 
purchasing function will often keep him 
in the co-operative ranks, when he would 
otherwise be inclined to cancel his mem- 
bership. 
XII. Service Only for Members 
If one is not willing to assume the 
burdens of membership in a local asso- 
ciation, he should not expect to share in 
its benefits, either in the sale of his 
fruits or the purchase of supplies. To 
allow him to do so on an equality with 
members ig an injustice to them. To 
serve an outsider for profit opens the way 
to discord, and introduces the element of 
speculation, from which a co-operative or- 
ganization should stand entirely aloof. 
XIII. Choice of Manager Not a Subject 
for Economizing 
A co-operative organization should econ- 
omize in all matters except the hiring 
of a manager. In that office, the man is 
the first consideration, his compensation 
a secondary matter. Success or failure 
depends on the manager. The directors 
can advise. They can not execute. The 
executive head should be patient, tact- 
ful, competent, aggressive. He should 
receive a salary commensurate with his 
ability. 
AIY. <A Central Selling Agency 
Thus far we have discussed funda- 
mentals of co-operation as applied to in- 
dividual associations acting independent- 
ly. We have treated them as unrelated 
entities. We have strengthened the weak 
parts. We have constructed a perfect 
local machine; a machine that, a few 
years ago, would adequately have per- 
formed the functions of distribution. It 
may yet suffice for the handling of many 
products. However, as regards commodi- 
ties produced in large quantities, and 
over wide areas, the problem of distribu- 
tion is too big for the local association. 
The great problem confronting all pro- 
ducers of material commodities is effi- 
cient distribution. That distribution is 
most efficient which brings producer and 
consumer into closest relation, which 
most thoroughly and evenly covers the 
consumptive field. Evenness of distribu- 
tion avoids gluts and fills the empty mar- 
ket. Economy of distribution eliminates 
superfluous media of exchange, and 
avoids duplication of effort. It thereby 
cheapens price to consumer and enlarges 
consumptive demand—conditions which 
make for cheap, rapid and widespread 
distribution, by insuring economy and 
even rewards of production, without in- 
creasing burdens of the consumer. The 
American people are awakening to this 
fact, and also to the fact that, without 
combination of distributive agencies, 
evenness of supply and stability and rea- 
sonableness of price are impossible. Pro- 
moters of manufacturing and other cor- 
porate enterprises have recognized the 
same fact. They have been compelled to 
unite with others similarly situated, to 
eliminate wasteful methods of distribu- 
tion. Their activities have been directed 
toward evenness of supply; not over- 
supply in one market and under supply 
in another. 
“Big Business” has come to stay, because 
it answers an economic want. It is based 
on co-operation. Co-operation and com- 
bination are supplanting competition and 
waste. The biggest of big businesses, 
however, has made but slight progress to- 
ward establishing itself on the basis of 
co-operative centralized distribution. Ag- 
